Northwest Colorado Health to buy building in Craig

Memorial Regional Health Board of Trustees have cleared the way for Northwest Colorado Health to purchase the building it has leased at 745 Russell St.Sasha Nelson

CRAIG — The ink is all but dry on the contracts that will see Northwest Colorado Health buy its current Craig location from Memorial Regional Health for $690,000. Closing is planned for March.

“We are very pleased to be moving from renting to ownership at 745 Russell Street,” said Northwest Colorado Health CEO Lisa Brown.

A three-month extension to the current lease was granted Dec. 21 by the MRH Board of Trustees to provide the time necessary for the closing process.

“I would say the board and MRH are pleased that we are moving forward with this agreement,” said MRH Vice President of Operations Jennifer Riley.

Divesting of the building is part of the MRH master plan to create a standalone urgent care clinic — which is under construction near Walmart — and build a new medical office building adjoining the hospital before vacating and demolishing the more-than 50-year-old building on Russell St.

“That building should come down in 2020, if all things go according to plan,” Riley said.

The demolition date allows time for Veterans Affairs to move its tele-health clinic. MRH has offered the VA space once the new facility is built.

“We’re not going to kick them out,” Riley said.

MRH could have kept the standalone building on Russell Street, but both entities thought offering it to NWCH would better serve the community.

“This will allow us to focus energy toward our services, employees and community needs,” Brown said. “Having a permanent location has been a priority for our organization, and this purchase allows us to move toward achieving that goal.”